Presenting

Feature 12 December | 2021 W here do you find inspiration? As a business owner in a creative field, you need a steady source of innovation and market research to give you a competitive edge and positively impact your bottom line. You'll find all that— and more—when you team up with the American Floral Endowment (AFE). AFE is a unique industry partnership that supports the flower industry, helping florist businesses like yours build a legacy of success. For 60 years, the Endowment has been strategically serving the industry by funding cutting- edge production and care and handling research, as well as helping to develop the next generation of leaders. Lori Wheat, AAF, a third-generation florist, is a long-time AFE supporter. "I've known about AFE my entire career," she says. Wheat heads financial operations, marketing and merchandising at the family business, Lafayette Florist, Gift Shop & Garden Center in Lafayette, Colo. "I think about AFE as another support system for my business—like a trusted CPA or other professional who gives me advice." Research Programs Solve Problems e Endowment is perhaps best known for funding research that improves flower and plant quality and longevity. "One example that has always stuck with me is that drip irrigation was a result of an AFE-funded research project," says David Boulton, AAF, PFCI, owner of Flowers by George in Arlington, Va. He's also a member of the Endowment Board of Trustees. "Drip irrigation is used in so many ways all over the world now, whether in a greenhouse setting even along Main Street USA where drip irrigation waters hanging baskets," Boulton adds. "As a retail florist, I support AFE, knowing that all the good work it does on behalf of the entire f loral industry will trickle down to retail florists and, eventually, to consumers." Wheat also counts on Endowment- funded research to help her business. "I'm always surprised at how much AFE does. Just as I think of what's keeping me up at night, AFE is working on solutions," she says. Lafayette Florist has used AFE research for decades. Wheat encourages retail florists to use the Endowment's research and resources to ensure their flowers and plants are at their best. She follows the AFE Facebook page, which has links to important industry topics, including posts from the Floral Marketing Fund ( floralmarketing fund.org ), a separate entity that was created by Trustees of AFE in 2008, which focuses on consumer preferences and marketing research. "We've used information on those studies for targeting millennials and growing our sympathy business. ese tools help new and established businesses," Wheat concludes. Looking for Labor Solutions Currently labor shortages are impacting every size of floral business. AFE's answer to the labor crisis? Scholarship and internship programs. By annually funding more than 30 university student scholarships and three internship programs, the Endowment helps support and train students in every area of the flower industry, including retail, production, and wholesale and allied trades. American Floral Endowment Your Partner for Success From care and handling best practices to employee recruitment tools, AFE partners with florists to solve industry challenges and invest in future industry success—all of which help their businesses thrive. By Julie Martens Forney

• Cover